Slice of Life

Associated Press
This photo provided by Eastern New Mexico University shows an apology letter that was sent anonymously by a New Mexico college graduate to his alma mater. Eastern New Mexico University said that it received a box of toilet paper along with a Christmas card and written apology note by a former student who admitted stealing toilet paper for a prank.

CHICAGO (AP) — Wild baseball fans are a standard sight at Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field. But a pair of wild coyotes wasn’t what photographer Will Byington was expecting on a busy Friday night.

Byington was shooting a concert at a bar across the street from the stadium when he saw the two coyotes near the ticketing area.

The ballpark is surrounded by bars, restaurants and busy streets. But Byington says the animals seemed unfazed by the honking horns and packed sidewalks, and jokes that maybe “they were on a date, taking a stroll.”

Wildlife ecologist Stanley Gehrt has extensively studied coyotes living in and around Chicago. He says coyotes have been in the area for the past decade and that Cook County, where Chicago is located, has at least 2,000 of the animals.

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Driving lesson goes awry

MONACA (AP) — It’s a driving lesson that went awry in more ways than one.

The Beaver County Times reports 26-year-old Bobbie Jo Gacesa of Monaca was charged with multiple counts stemming from an Oct. 26 crash.

Pennsylvania State Police said Gacesa was teaching a teenage girl to drive when the teen’s foot slipped from the brake to the gas pedal and the minivan jumped a curb and struck a building.

Investigators said Gacesa’s license had been suspended after a drunken-driving conviction and her vehicle’s registration and inspection sticker were expired. They also said the girl didn’t have a learner’s permit.

Police said the duo also fled the scene but a trail of leaking fluid led right to the damaged van. It allegedly had license plates that belonged to another vehicle.

Oh deer

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) — Spectators who came to watch horses at a western Pennsylvania racetrack got a surprise when three deer got onto the course first and beat the horses to racing.

According to KDKA-TV, a race was about to begin at the Meadows Racetrack in Washington County when the deer jumped onto the track.

Race announcer Roger Huston didn’t miss a beat. He began calling the race as it unfolded, saying things like: “As they race down the track, Bambi has the lead. Here comes Rudolph from the outside.”

The deer ran fast but kept changing directions. At one point, they appeared headed to the paddock, where the horses were being held.

Several minutes into the show, the deer decided to leave the track to the horses.

Huston says Bambi won the race.

TP thief with conscience

PORTALES, N.M. (AP) — University officials say a New Mexico college graduate, apparently feeling guilty over a student prank years ago, has sent a box of toilet paper to repay the school for loot taken from a dormitory.

Eastern New Mexico University says it received the yuletide gift box this week along with a Christmas card and written apology.

The box contained five packages of 16 rolls of two-ply, septic-safe tissue for a total of 80 rolls.

The anonymous writer apologized for stealing bathroom tissue years ago and said a new dedication to Christian faith led to the deed.

It was unclear whether the gift itself was a prank. But university officials say “all is forgiven.”

The toilet paper is being donating to a nearby charity because it doesn’t fit the school’s dispensers.